


Untamed

by TheHatterTheory



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Guns, Humor, Romance, Survival Training, Travel, WIP, Waaaaaaaaangst, Wilderness, World Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2012-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-04 09:11:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHatterTheory/pseuds/TheHatterTheory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You may feed a wolf as much as you like, he will always glance toward the forest. A Kouga/Kagome fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Untamed  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter One  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

She walked ahead of her sister and friend, determined to get in the house before they did. The house itself -closer to a cabin like mansion- loomed ahead and she jogged the last several feet. The vacation home no longer intimidated her, was no longer a reminder of her friend's inherited affluence. Now it was a place of memories, four wonderful years of them, and she wanted a private moment with it before the pair behind her caught up.

Opening the door she closed it behind her quickly, hoping her sister would delay Inu Yasha for a few minutes. The stairs in the foyer alone held a wealth of memories, and she looked at it, hoping to -perhaps foolishly- emblazon it in her mind, a perfect picture of what it was now.

However, she stopped, realizing that her arrival had given someone as much pause as she felt.

"Who are you?" She asked, brows knit together. Inu Yasha hadn't mentioned anyone else spending the weekend with them, and she felt a little put off at the intrusion. Maybe he was a friend of Sesshoumaru's, and her friend's older brother was going to be by.

"Who the hell are you?" The man snapped, crossing his arms and looking her up and down, making no effort to hide the fact. Bristling under his brazenly assessing gaze, she opened her mouth to say something witty and sarcastic, at least she hoped so, when the front door opened and Kikyo and Inu Yasha stepped in.

"Kouga, what are you doing here?" Inu Yasha asked dumbly, eyes widening as he looked first at the man on the stairs and then her.

"You know this guy?"

"Old friends," Kouga chuckled with a smirk as he walked down the stairs and past her. "And you said to come see you when I got out. The bastard said you'd be here this weekend."

Got out? Out from where? Jail, probably. He looked like an adult that had never quite given up on being a delinquent, with long hair in a high ponytail and jeans with frayed holes in the knees.

"You mean you're done? It hasn't felt like-" Inu Yasha stopped short and shrugged. "Time flies, I guess."

"Yeah, if you're not the one going through it. I swear to god, I don' know why they bother."

"Umm, hello?" She interjected, feeling as lost as her sister looked. Inu Yasha smiled and turned to his girlfriend, smiling and bringing her to his side.

"Kouga, this is Kikyo, my girlfriend. And that's Kagome."

"I'm Kikyo's sister," She volunteered, noticing for the first time that he had blue eyes. Though she had blue eyes, his were much paler, almost ice blue, and contrasted sharply with his tawny complexion. For a moment she wondered if he was fully asian. He looked asian, but she knew from first hand experience that looks could be deceiving. Her own father had been european, and no one ever guessed her heritage.

"So I take it I interrupted something?" Kouga asked, not offering a proper greeting, but instead turning back to Inu Yasha.

"No, it's fine."

She wanted to stamp her foot and say that no, it was not fine. It would be her last weekend, last visit period, for a long time, and she had wanted to soak in the atmosphere with her two best friends in the world and make a few new ones.

She did not want to have that plan altered by the arrival of Kouga.

However, Kikyo was already talking, making plans for dinner and generally being agreeable, as she usually was. Inu Yasha looked somewhat excited, and Kouga looked...Well, arrogant.

It didn't bode well for her weekend, not at all.

~*~ 

When she walked down the stairs the next morning, she was more than ready to go for a walk with her best friend and sister. Eager and excited, she began throwing things together in the picnic basket that she had bought two years prior, when her sister and best friend had begun dating. It had been a gift for them, but in the end everyone used it when they came to the vacation house.

After packing fruit and sandwiches, she looked at the clock.

It was past one. What were they still doing in bed?

Tip toeing up the stairs, she was readying herself to put her ear to the door only to be stopped by a low moan. Taking a quick step back, she stared at the door, knowing what was going on behind it, but not quite able to comprehend that her sister was in there with her best friend doing it.

Face burning, she ran down the stairs and grabbed the picnic basket, needing to get out of the house before her face burst into flame. Not caring when the door slammed behind her, she ran around the back of the building and past the pavilion. It wasn't until she hit the trail that she slowed, mortification giving way to a stern reprimand.

"Of course they have sex. They're both adults and they've been together for two years. It's natural," She grumbled, face still flush with embarrassment. She had known, her sister didn't keep secrets from her. But she had never been around while they were doing it, or if she had been, she hadn't been aware of it., hadn't ever wanted to be aware of it.

Walking down the trail she navigated the myriad paths, wishing for them to be with her but accepting that they needed their own time. Heaving a sigh, she decided a day on the beach suited her well enough. It was warm enough to swim, and she'd wisely put on her bathing suit under her clothes.

Dirt and trees gave way to bare sand and the tang of salt and brine flavored the air. She gave the sky a carefree smile and walked over the sand, tripping now and again as the sand shifted beneath her feet. She was halfway to the cove they had always picnicked at when she heard it.

Like thunder over the waves, a sound echoed and she screeched, half deafened and afraid, the basket dropping from her nerveless fingers as she spun wildly and looked around, determined to find the source of the noise.

Seeing nothing, she grabbed the basket and, still looking around, she made for the cove.

The sound boomed again, and she struggled not to drop the basket a second time. She'd never heard such a noise, and it was both bewildering and frightening. Especially because she couldn't pinpoint a source.

The sound came again three more times in rapid succession before stopping, and she waited several minutes, standing still and listening for another booming clap of thunder. But nothing came, and she continued, feeling mildly better that whatever, or whoever, it was that made the sound had obviously finished.

The sun was high and warmed the chill from the sea breeze. Determined to put the strange disturbance out of her mind, she wondered if Kikyo and Inu Yasha had finished. If they realized she wasn't there, they'd know precisely where to look for her. She loved one of two spots, one being their cove and the other being a small clearing in the woods. Hoping that they were already getting dressed and on their way, she picked up the pace, coming to the outer wall of the cove and walking carefully around it.

Only to stop and stare, eyes widening.

He was there, and doing something, although her view was obstructed by the lid of the long box on the ground where he knelt.

She considered turning around. They had barely spoken at dinner, both he and Inu Yasha too busy catching up to leave room for much else, and there was something about him that set her on edge. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it made her antsy. Not quite nervous, just wary.

But before she could turn, he looked up and smirked, then waved her over. Knowing that running away would not only be rude, but force an explanation at some later time, she gave up and trudged over to him.

"You had to get away from them too, huh?" He chuckled when she sat the basket down. Now that she was close, she could see what was in the box.

A gun. A big one.

He had a gun, maybe more than one. Was he the one that had made the strange, hollow booming sounds that had echoed over the sands?

"I'm going over my gear," He told her, seeing where her gaze was directed. "You're not afraid of it, are you?"

"No," She retorted, flushing hotly at the insinuation. "I've just never seen one up close."

He snorted and closed the box, not bothering to close the combination latches.

"Inu Yasha said you guys are going to America," He said, breaking the silence. She nodded and sat down across from him, drawing her knees up to her chest and gazing out over the ocean.

"Why?"

"There's a program I want to enter in Russia. The head of the program has a condition for anyone that's involved. I have to get some wilderness survival training, and the head has a preferred school for outdoor studies. It's in Alaska. Inu Yasha is going because he said it sounds fun, although he's probably crazy," She joked.

"What's the program?"

"It's to study the gray wolf population. Russia has the highest concentration, but the locations can get pretty remote, and the conditions are pretty harsh."

"You want to study wolves?" He asked, surprise coloring his words.

She nodded, smiling a lopsided smile. Whenever she told someone her goals, they looked at her as if she were crazy. She supposed she shouldn't be shocked. She hardly looked the type to go out into the wilderness and study animals, especially wolves. But had been a dream of hers since she was little.

"Why?"

He seemed genuinely baffled by her interest, and she shrugged, knowing her reasoning would sound silly, perhaps even stupid.

"No one decides to go to Russia for no reason. Why?" He declared flatly, moving to the long duffel bag and pulling out a box. He opened a can of beer and she shook her head when he offered her one. Trying to find a good way to word it, she shrugged again and looked out to the sea.

"I was little when my mom took Kikyo and I to the science museum. They had specimens of the extinct species of wolves on display. It just, I don't, I didn't like seeing them like that. That they'd died out, been hunted like that, I was still little, and the thought made me cry."

And she had cried, and hadn't stopped until she'd had a headache and exhausted herself. The very idea of the beautiful animals she'd seen, stuffed and with their glass eyes, mouths posed in a vicious snarl, still made her want to cry. She'd determined at that moment to do whatever she could to prevent it from happening again, and had put forth years of study to ensure that goal.

"It's good to see a human that actually cares about the future," He muttered.

"What?" She asked, flushing at his angry tone. No one had ever taken an interest in her studies before, in the subject of her study, and he was glaring at the ocean as if it had done something to offend him. For a moment she saw his gaze turn inwards and wondered what it was he was thinking. Obviously something that made him angry, if the downward tilt of his lips was any indication.

"I have some sandwiches and fruit," She offered quietly, wanting to break through the tense silence. He started, coming back to the present with an obvious jolt.

"Yeah, thanks," He muttered, gaze shifting to the basket. She opened it and pulled out two sandwiches, handing him one and settling back to eat hers.

"So how did you and inu Yasha meet?" She asked, not liking the silence at all. The night before she had gotten a picture of a rather boisterous individual, and though she hadn't really liked his brash, rather colorful attitude, she disliked the strange dolor that surrounded him.

"Our fathers were friends. We didn't really have a choice," He admitted, smirking again and taking another long swig of beer. "But when Sesshoumaru started hanging around more, we found a common enemy. That asshole, humph," He snorted, looking amused. "He was born with a stick up his ass."

She couldn't disagree. Inu Yasha's older half brother had never hesitated to treat not only Inu Yasha, but anyone associated with him, like dirt beneath his shoes.

"How about you? Did you meet through your sister?" He asked, looking honestly curious.

"No, I met him at a business event a few years ago, my father works with his and we hit it off. Actually, we hid," She chuckled, recounting the memory. "Neither of us really wanted to be there, and we ended up missing the whole thing. After that we just started hanging out. He didn't meet Kikyo until about two years ago."

He nodded smirking and chuckling.

"I've been dragged to more than my fair share of events like that. They're hellish, aren't they?"

She couldn't help but agree. Dresses and finery were not her style, and she had never gone to another one of the company parties. Her sister, however, did, and Inu Yasha was forced to go to each one as her date, not that he seemed to mind as much anymore.

"So what is it you do, or did?" She asked, taking another bite of her sandwich.

"I worked in the imperial guard," He said in an offhand manner, but she choked on the bite of sandwich that lodged itself in her throat. For a moment she was sure she would die, if not from suffocation then from utter mortification. He reached over and thumped her solidly on the back, and she swallowed deeply, wheezing and dragging in deep breaths.

"The imperial guard?" She demanded. There was no way, he couldn't have! Not only was he not the type, but he was too young!

"Family connections," He muttered, looking put off that it had come up at all. "I'm out now though, thankfully."

And that was said in the tone of someone who had escaped a prison, both grateful and elated, although it hid itself beneath his gruff exterior.

"Why did you do it?" She asked. He shrugged nonchalantly, but she had the feeling he disliked thinking about it at all.

"I was told to by family. Tradition or something. It's over now though, so I'm free to figure something out."

They were quiet after that, finishing their sandwiches in the relative quiet. She felt as if she'd done something wrong, by asking him about his former employment, and though she had initially disliked him,and she wasn't sure if she liked him any more than before, she did want to make amends.

"So why were you shooting?" She asked as she pulled an apple from the basket and bit into it.

"I needed to get away from the happy couple," He snorted. "Same as why you came out here, I figure."

She didn't want to admit that she had fled, and nodded once, feeling awkward.

He grabbed his empty beer can and walked over to a rock, setting it on top of it. She watched curiously as he came back and opened a smaller case, pulling out a pistol and a box of bullets. He moved smoothly, with a practiced ease that both amazed and shocked her. Seconds later he was tossing a pair of bright yellow plugs her way, and getting the hint, she put them in her ears.

She did not expect him to stand and gesture for her to as well.

"What?" She asked dumbly, staring at him.

"Get up," He said impatiently, the earplugs muffling the words. She stood, but once again looked at him blankly when he held the gun out to her.

"No."

"You're probably going to need it in Russia anyway," He pointed out.

She stared at the gun.

"Oh come on, don't be such a sissy. Or are you scared of it?" He goaded. She knew he was goading her, but it still sparked her temper, reminding her that she was not exactly fond of him to begin with. Huffing, she accepted the gun and stood with it in front of her.

"Don't let it point anywhere but that way," He commanded. She nodded and stared at the beer can.

"Pull the trigger."

She pulled it once, surprised by how easily it depressed and startled at the kicking motion as it bucked up. She could hear him laughing and turned her head, glaring at his amused smile.

"Like this," He told her, getting behind her and putting his arms over hers. She could barely hear him telling her how to line up the sights and hold her arms so that they wouldn't jerk wildly when she pulled the trigger. When he stepped back, she pulled the trigger once and saw sand kicked up next the beer can.

"Until you hit the can."

She emptied the cartridge without hitting it, sending sand flying into the air.

He took the gun from her and explained the mechanics of it as he slid the cartridge out and pulled the slide back, showing her how to make sure it wasn't loaded.

It wasn't the sort of thing she had ever wanted to learn, but she found herself fascinated by the simple mechanics of the weapon as he showed her how to load and slide the cartridge home.

Once again he helped her position herself and she began pulling the trigger, feeling slightly more confident. After several near misses, she hit the can and sent it careening off of the rock. With a cheer she turned and saw him smirking at her as if she was childish for reacting as she had.

"Keep that thing pointed down," He reminded her, pointing at the gun that was pointed just to the left of him. Flushing, she lowered it and nodded, feeling chastened and silly. He walked over to the can and put it back on the rock, then walked back behind her.

"Until the cartridge is empty."

She continued shooting for the can and continued to miss, her confidence gone from messing up. When it was empty, he took it and slid the cartridge out, shaking his head and chuckling, although she only heard it once she pulled the earplugs out. She was surprised when he pulled his own out, although she supposed he must have been wearing them the whole time.

"That's enough for now," He said, giving her a crooked smile.

Only minutes later Inu Yasha and Kikyo walked up, waving and smiling cheerily.

Inu Yasha inquired about the cases, and Kouga explained that he'd left the service with them. Inu Yasha admitted an instant dislike, and Kouga shrugged it off. She watched the exchange, noticing that something seemed different, and that she couldn't tell what it was worried her.

~*~ 

She stared at Inu Yasha incredulously. Knowing that he hadn't accomplished such a task alone, she swung her gaze to her sister, who was smiling and flushing brightly, her eyes bright with happiness.

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant," She announced happily.

The words echoed in her mind, ricocheting off of her skull pan and around her brain in a loop that refused to be broken.

Pregnant.

"You're pregnant."

Kikyo nodded, smile growing even wider.

"With a baby?"

"Like she'd be pregnant with anything else," Inu Yasha snorted, looking at her as if she had grown another head.

Even though she had expected them to get married and have children -in that order- she couldn't help but feel blindsided by the announcement. Her sister. Having a baby. Her best friend, Inu Yasha, would be a father.

"Congratulations," She finally said, smiling. Strangeness aside, they deserved her support, especially considering her grandfather's traditional views on marriage. And he hated Inu Yasha for some reason she had never been able to quite figure out.

"We wanted you to be the first to know," Kikyo said in a rushed breath, coming forward and hugging her tightly. She wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders and hugged back just as tightly. Tears pricked her eyes and for a moment she felt herself going into free fall.

They had always been a team, and when Inu Yasha had begun dating her, they had become a trio. But a baby, a baby would change things, of that she had no doubt. Feeling just a little jealous of the tiny little being growing inside of her sister, she hugged more tightly, hoping, if nothing else, she and her sister would never lose touch, would never grow apart and lead separate lives.

When Kikyo pulled back, she felt the dread increase, if only a little, because of the other woman's furrowed brows.

"This does mean something though," Kikyo sighed.

"What's that?" She asked, panic lacing the dread and mixing in her stomach, producing a dizzying nausea.

"Alaska is out."

She hadn't even thought of that. It was obvious though, and it pricked at her fear of growing apart from her sister, turning it into a sort of certainty, one that was irrational and illogical, but opened the door to even worse ideas.

She fought off the urge to run from the room, to scream, and instead kept her smile wide and nodded.

"That's fine. You and Inu Yasha needed to be here, safe, and not tromping around the wilderness."

"I don't want you to go by yourself," Kikyo started. Kagome knew Kikyo was probably relieved. She had not been looking forward to months of training in the outdoors, especially considering she would never use it for anything. The only reason she had wanted to go was because it was another country, and she couldn't bear to be separated from her sister. Inu Yasha had also deemed it a good idea to go with them, saying the program sounded fun and that he would like to learn to 'rough it', although she'd always suspected he couldn't stand to be apart from Kikyo for such a long period of time.

And now she was going. Alone. To another country. To the wilderness.

For a moment she reconsidered the whole thing. After all, she should be with her sister during her pregnancy, right?

"Kagome, I know how important it is to you, I still want you to go," Kikyo said in a quiet voice. She cursed her sister's ability to read her so well and nodded, smiling even though she wanted to deny the truth.

In nine months or less, she would be an aunt.

"It'll be okay," She said at last. "I knew you wouldn't follow me to Russia, so this is obviously a good place to start."

Kikyo nodded and her smile returned. Kagome felt her hand being squeezed and looked down, saw her sister's hand squeezing hers and wondered if it would happen again before she left. The moment itself was too surreal, and she wasn't sure how she got through it as talk of babies and engagements and families began floating around the room.

It wasn't until Inu Yasha and Kikyo bid her goodnight that she stood on wooden legs and began walking. Out of the house and down the path in the darkness. She knew it by heart and had little difficulty navigating in the night. There was a half moon shining brightly down on the beach as she walked further and further, out towards the shore. When she got close enough that she could feel the water pushing over her shoes, she sat down, ignoring water soaking her bottom and shoes and socks. She stared out to the shoreline and imagined crossing the sea.

"You alright?" A voice asked, making her jump nearly out of her skin. She turned, saw him standing looking somewhat awkward, as if he wasn't sure he really wanted to be there. The box of beer cans was in his hand.

"My sister is pregnant."

"I heard you guys talking," He said, sitting next to her, heedless of the ocean water lapping at his feet. "You want a beer?"

This time she said yes, although she didn't particularly like beer. Being around Inu Yasha and his gang of friends, she'd had plenty of opportunity to drink it, but it had usually been to sip it slowly, more to have something to hold than to drink it. But she popped the tab on the can and took a long sip, instantly disliking the taste. She must have been making a face, because he laughed when she swallowed.

"You going to be okay?"

She nodded, looking back out to the ocean and wondering what the world was like on the other side of it.

"It's so far away," She sighed.

"Not so far, trust me."

"Have you ever been to Alaska?"

He shook his head, brow furrowing in thought. "I've been to America, but not Alaska. I'm still not sure if I believe that America has wilderness. But it's not like they were going to follow you to Russia, so it's a good time to start," He pointed out before taking another sip of his own beer. "Besides, do you really want to live with those two horn dogs?"

She choked on the sip she had been taking and sputtered, face hot in the face of his blunt observation. His laughter rang out through the night, loud guffawing that was finally met with her own laughter when she realized that he had a point.

"The world never seemed as big as it does now," She admitted at last.

"It's not, not really," He sighed, looking out over the sea almost sadly. "It used to be much bigger."

Twenty four hours before, she had disliked him, but the grief, wistfulness, and even the spark of defiant anger in his eyes made her feel sorry for him.

She hoped she would never see the world as a small place, at least not like he did.


	2. Chapter 2

Untamed  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 2  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~ 

Her apartment felt a lot bigger than it was. Maybe it was because she didn't have a lot of things, only what she could fit on the plane. She didn't even have bookshelves or furniture. Or plates. Just clothes and books and her camping equipment. Not even a bed. And all of her extra money was going to keep the apartment until a roommate showed up. Despite Inu Yasha's insistence, she couldn't take his money, not if he wasn't going to be there. Even if she was gaining him as a brother in law, whenever that did happen, she didn't want to feel like a leech and knew accepting any money, for whatever reason, would make her feel like a mooch.

"Crap," She muttered, wondering how she was going to find a roommate when she didn't even know anyone. Most people at the school probably already had roommates, and she wasn't even going to be there for a full year, definitely not incentive for someone to stay with her. She tried to count her blessing. Anchorage was one of the bigger cities, and she wasn't far from the downtown area or the school. It was small consolation, but she hoped that maybe someone just moving there might apply for a roommate and be fine with learning the area for a year before striking out on their own.

When she arrived back from grabbing a burger and soda, she noticed her door was slightly open.

"Okay, ignore statistics. You probably just didn't close it all the way when you left. Be calm, Kagome," She muttered under her breath as she peeked inside.

There were three duffel bags in the entry way, and a few boxes.

What the hell was going on?

She tip toed into the apartment, berating herself for not even having a cell phone to call the police.

The shower was running in the hall bathroom. She opened the door as quietly as she could and lamented not having a firearm like Kouga had -in a joking sort of way- recommended before he'd left the vacation house in Japan. Opting for the plunger -apparently standard, although why she didn't want to know- instead, she hefted it in her hand and went to grab the curtain. Immediately the water stopped and the pulled the curtain back, just as she was getting ready to swing the plunger at someone's head.

"Kouga?" She shrieked, glancing up and down in utter confusion and then turning away from his soaked form, intent on pretending she hadn't seen a thing.

"You needed a roommate, right?" He finally asked, reaching past her for the towel that had been sitting on top of the counter. Kagome palmed her face and willed the blush away.

"You could have said something!" She snapped.

He walked past her, wrapped in a towel and like he didn't posses a care in the world. He paused and looked over his shoulder, his face a mask of cool indifference, but his eyes dancing with mirth. "This way you can keep the apartment and deal with someone you know. And still be able to afford a firearm."

"Aww, how sweet, you came all this way to harass me into getting a gun," She snarled, losing her patience.

"No, I came for the outdoors study program."

"You?" Kagome asked, pointing, eyes wide.

"Inu Yasha told me about it, it sounds fun. Besides, I had to get the hell away from those two, ever since her hormones kicked in they've been at it like rabbits. Fucking disgusting."

"How, why-" She sputtered indignantly, determined to keep her eyes level his own own, even if the amusement in the ice blue depths made her want to club him with the plunger that was still clenched in her fists.

"I needed to figure something out to do. This seemed plausible enough," He snorted, smirking and turning away, revealing a long mass of black, wet hair going down his back. She realized that it was as long as hers, maybe longer.

He was out of the bathroom before she could respond, not that she could have formulated a response, or any sound other than stunned sputtering.

~*~ 

"I don't have much in the way of furniture," Kouga told her. "I lived in the guard building and moved around a lot."

"I didn't bring anything, I was worried about paying rent, so I didn't have anything shipped."

"It's probably time to go shopping then," He muttered, making it sound like it was a punishment.

"Ha-ha Kouga, with what, our looks? Well, yours maybe, not mine."

"I've got a credit card for the family account," He pointed out, looking vaguely amused.

"Great for you," She humphed, annoyed.

"I'm sure they'll understand if I help out my roommate, especially since she's going to explain to me what it is I'm doing in Alaska."

"Your logic is skewed and you know what you're doing in Alaska."

"Hey, if you're getting a good deal out of it, why complain? Do you like using your sleeping bag as a bed?"

He had a point.

~*~ 

"It looks like something out of a hospital," He muttered, staring at what she had pointed at.

"Who cares, it's a bed, I'm only sleeping in it," Kagome told him, adamant. She dug in her heels. It was the cheapest bed there, and she'd be damned if she was going to get something more expensive. She had to be able to pay him back. Even if he didn't care about it, she did.

"Are you sure?" He began again, eyes still pinned to the small futon frame and mattress.

"Positive. It's a good bed, stop bugging me about it," She said, voice hinting at her obvious impatience. So what if it was utilitarian. It's not like she was going to be sleeping with anyone in it. She was not in another country to play around, and she was going to be out on the land for most of her trip, at least she hoped so. Even if she knew what all of her gear was and how to use it, she hadn't had a chance to actually use any of it, and more than anything she wanted to impress the professors that would be helping her. Which meant no messing around. Besides, why pay a lot for a bed she'd rarely be using?

He seemed to take the hint and walked over to a salesperson while she meandered over to the couch section of the small furniture store. Most of them were some sort of leather, and when she sat on them experimentally, they were either hard or overstuffed, none quite comfortable. Kouga walked over and watched her, amused smirk in place as he crossed his arms.

"Find anything yet?"

"No," She groaned, getting up. She shouldn't even be worried about it. It was his family's credit card, so it was his decision. A bed was one thing, but a couch was something shared and out in the open. Ultimately it would be his choice.

"Then why are you still sitting there?" He asked, looking at her as if she was being stupid.

"What do you mean?"

"Help me find one," He demanded. "It just better not be some pink, flowery thing," He added with a sneer, as if the very idea was enough to give him nausea. She was almost tempted to find the most feminine, garish piece of furniture in the store, but held back. She'd be using it too, and she didn't want to sit on something flowery, it would drive her nuts.

She went through several more, growing more and more irritated. Obviously people valued style over substance, or else Americans were used to sitting on planks of wood. There could be no other explanation for the hard as a rock pieces that passed for couches.

When she came to an ugly brown one she almost dismissed it out of hand. It had just enough green in it's shade to remind her of feces. But it looked soft, at least compared to the rest, and she'd almost gone through the entire stock anyway. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned and plopped down onto it. Or would have, if she had not sunk into a heavenly softness absent in the other couches.

"This one," She sighed, wondering where Kouga was and how she was going to convince him to buy it. She wasn't sure she could live with one of the others after sitting in the -granted ugly- one she was in danger of melting into.

"This couch is amazing," Kagome sighed when he finally stopped in front of her, brows raised and mouth pinched in distaste.

"That color is fucking awful."

"But it feels amazing," She rebutted. "Sit down, seriously, just sit down."

He complied, sinking deep into the cushion next to her. From the surprised look on his face, she could tell he liked it immediately and gave a mental cheer, even more determined by the small success.

"It's ugly."

"Then don't seduce a girl on it, or get slip covers for it. Actually, still don't seduce a girl on it, I want to be able to sit on this without vomiting."

"Don't bang any men on it then, and we have a deal."

She tried not to flinch at his word choice.

"Even if I could seduce someone, I'd never do it on this couch. In the kitchen maybe," She added thoughtfully, making a joke of it.

"The kitchen?" He sounded skeptical.

"Shower then?"

"Too slippery."

"Never on a couch this ugly," She declared with a firm nod of her head.

"But it is comfortable," He conceded, looking amused.

"I knew I could get you to see my side of it," She laughed, getting up and going to find one of the store employees.

~*~ 

"Why can't we just get a burger," She whined.

"Because I want real food, and I'm paying."

"Doesn't the girl get to pick?"

"Women never eat real food," He muttered.

Kagome was still sputtering like an angry cat when he led her into the steak house. By the time she stopped, he had ordered two beers for them without even consulting her. Despite sputtering angrily she showed her id, giving in only when he had pointed out -again- that he was the one paying.

The drinks came with menus, and he glanced over it briefly before deciding what to order. Kagome decided just as quickly, earning a sharp worded comment about being singular among women for making quick decisions. She took a sip of her drink and her eyes lit up as she read the label. Her english was superb, but the script on the bottle was beyond confusing.

"This isn't half bad," She said, taking another sip of the beer.

"So when do you intend to buy a firearm?"

"Are you still on that? When I can find a decent one."

"I have a spare .45," He said casually.

"A spare?" She mocked, taking another sip of the drink.

"I bought a new one, the one you shot is for sale, if it's someone I trust."

"Guess I'm out of luck, you barely know me and have no reason whatsoever to trust me."

"I trust the people I train."

"Oh. What about permits?"

"It's handled."

She continued nursing her drink, and when the waitress came back, he was obviously surprised by her order of steak and vegetables. And another drink.

"No salads?" He mocked.

"I believe in real food thank you very much, especially if someone else is paying."

"At least you're honest."

"So why are you here? You keep saying you thought the outdoors program would be fun, but I don't think fun is something someone would drop everything for," She said. "Do you even know what's entailed?"

"I've been cooped up in cities, government buildings and palaces for longer than I care to think about," He answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Inu Yasha told me a little about it, I looked it up, and he used whatever clout he had to get me in the program. I needed out of Japan for awhile and doing this seemed expedient and fun."

"Fun?"

"It's fun to annoy the shit out of you."

"You really are a piece of work," She muttered.

"I strive to be the best," He mocked, tipping his beer at her before taking another long pull from the bottle.

She had the feeling he didn't want to talk about it, which was strange. Although after a moment's contemplation, she supposed being forced into the imperial guard under the guise of family honor probably didn't sit well with him. He seemed too rough around the edges for such work, and if anything he seemed to dislike even thinking about it. Given those small bits of information, she guessed that if she ad been him, she would want out of Japan.

Suddenly it made more sense, his impulsive decision and even surly behavior.

"Do you know anything about camping?" She asked, trying again.

"A bit," He said, taking another sip of his beer.

"A bit?" She sputtered.

"Isn't that what I'm here to learn?"

Oh gods.

"Do you even have any equipment?" She demanded, wondering why she was even bothering. Immediately she was reminded of why she didn't like him. Too careless, too brash. Obviously he had no idea what he was getting into, and it was making a joke of her own efforts. She hadn't come to Alaska to baby sit some rich man-child in search of fun.

"Inu Yasha gave me his," He shrugged.

She tried counting to ten before speaking again.

"Inu Yasha had a really good setup. And he knew how to use everything."

"I know how to set up a tent and roll out a sleeping bag."

"Can you patch a tent?" She demanded.

"Sure."

"Do you have nay idea how to start a fire?"

He paused and then smiled. "Matches."

"Inu Yasha bought a magnesium fire starter and wet proof tinder specifically for camping in the snow."

"Magnesium?"

"It's friction based. You strike it and the sparks catch the tinder."

"Okay, that's not so hard then," He said, smirking as she stared him down.

"What about cooking?"

"A spit?"

She tried not to gag.

"There was a teflon coated mess kit."

He nodded, still looking unconcerned.

"Water filtration?" She sighed.

"We'll be surrounded by snow. No reason you can't melt it and drink that."

She wanted to bang her head into the table, good nature and empathy be damned.

"Pedometer, GPS, compass, radio?"

"I can use a GPS and radio."

She gave in to the urge to at least pinch her nose.

"Do you even understand what camping in the wilderness will be like?" She finally sighed, wondering if he would catch the first now and head back for Japan. Miracles did happen, after all.

"I used to a lot when I was younger. Survival camping with my family. It won't be a problem readjusting," He said, voice serious for the first time since she had broached the subject. "I won't see snow or bears or wolves and run. I'm not going to leave just because things get uncomfortable. Survival camping," He said with a faint smirk, an unpleasant one at that, "It means none of the fancy stuff Inu Yasha bought for his kit. So I'm sure I can handle it."

"You've been working with the imperial guard for the past several years. How can you say you'll just get right back into the swing of things?" She demanded incredulously. "It's not a joke. Camping in Alaska is dangerous. You haven't even tried carrying the gear for a few hours. And you don't have to be afraid of just bears. You could get sunstroke or dehydrated or hypothermia, any number of things."

"I know that."

"Are you serious about any of this?"

His face darkened, and for a moment she wondered if she'd not only hit a nerve, but if he was going to leave the restaurant.

"I am serious. First, I'm more than willing to trade lessons with you-"

"What could you teach me?"

"You need to learn how to use a weapon. Especially after some of the reading I've done. Here it's just wild animals that might attack you. In Russia you'll be facing poachers and worse. I can train you on how to use a gun and how to defend yourself with or without it. You can show me how to use all of the equipment Inu Yasha gave me. It seems like a fair trade to me."

"Why do you want this so badly?" She shot out, feeling defensive in the face of his angry tone.

"Because it's a chance to get out on the land, away from lots of people."

"You can't just go survival camping with your family again?" She bit out flippantly.

"No."

There was no explanation, no more than just one word, but that single word held a wealth of meaning.

"Do you really care about learning to do this, and do it right?" She finally asked, still skeptical.

He nodded quietly, ice blue eyes hard.

"Fine."

The rest of their dinner was eaten in a tense silence, neither choosing to speak until they parted ways in their apartment, muttering quiet, somewhat hostile goodnights.

~*~ 


	3. Chapter 3

Untamed  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 3  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~ 

Kagome was still in her sleeping bag, ignoring the world when she heard the voices. Grumbling, her arm flopped out, then the other. Her head felt vaguely fuzzy, like it had cobwebs the little butler in her head had forgotten to clean as he made his rounds.

"Good, you're awake. Out," Kouga said. She looked up blearily and saw his head in the door.

"What?"

"The delivery men are here with your bed."

With that he disappeared and she crawled out of her sleeping bag, still feeling too asleep to roll it up. Instead she tossed it into her closet and stumbled out of the room and down the hall.

Coffee wafted from the kitchen, and she followed the smell, already feeling slightly more alive. The two delivery men were bringing up box after box, and she poured coffee into the brand new mug and wondered what time it was, and when Kouga had gotten up to raid her stash of groceries.

"I can't cook," He declared, staring at her from the entrance to the kitchen.

"Lucky you, I can," She chuckled, reaching for one of the two pans she had brought and then going to the fridge.

Thirty minutes later not only was Kouga eating, but she had insisted the two delivery men take the time to have a decent breakfast. They had eyed the toast and eggs greedily, and Kagome made second helpings for all three of the males when they had begun to eye the last few pieces of bacon, then one another, as if preparing themselves for a challenge.

Kouga helped her clean while the beds were being put together. She whistled an aimless tune, washing while he dried. When the men popped their heads in, they asked about the location of the couch.

It took all three men to get the couch in the door, and Kagome was helping to direct them as they moved to where she thought the couch should sit. Finally it was sat down as gently as possible.

"Ma'am, did you let him pick out this couch?" One of the gruff workmen asked.

"No, I did. It's comfy!" She sighed, taking a dive onto it. Both men laughed as she burrowed into the cushions. She heard Kouga tipping them and then the door closing.

"You look happy."

"I'm sorry about last night, if I said anything stupid or something. I didn't mean to be so short with you. I don't drink often." Ever. She felt apologetic, as if she really had done something wrong, especially in the face of his chuckling.

"You were fine for the most part. Anyway, the sheets for your bed should be in a box in your room, I'm going to go make mine."

He was gone before she could say anything, and her mood only slightly sullied by his constant aloofness, she sprang up from the couch and to her room, ready to set up a new-not-on-the-floor-bed.

What greeted her elicited the most unfeminine screech she had ever released.

"Careful, the neighbors will think we're involved," Kouga chuckled as he walked to her door and peered in.

"They got the order wrong, oh kami, I feel so horrible, they were so nice and they brought the wrong bed and all that work!" Kagome wailed.

"The order isn't wrong."

"Yes it is, I picked out a futon and frame, not, not this!" She said, gesturing wildly to the four poster cherry bed. The headboard and foot board weren't that tall, but the whole thing looked sumptuous. It was not a simple bed. It certainly wasn't a utilitarian bed.

"I saw that you liked this one. Consider it a fresh start present."

Once again he left her spluttering behind him as he made his way back to his room. She stared at his retreating form wondering when and why he was being so nice. They'd barely spoken civilly and he had bought her...that! When had he even seen her looking at it? She had loved it, but it she had also balked at the price and the impracticality of it. There was no reason she needed a bed like that!

And he had no real reason to buy it for her. Money or no, they'd alternated between friendly and quietly hostile almost every time they'd spoken. The gesture itself was confusing and annoying. Inu Yasha had been sort of like him, when they'd first met. Brash, a bit rude, but he hadn't been nearly so distant. Nor had his moods been so mercurial. Inu Yasha was rough around the edges, but he wasn't bordering on bipolar.

Giving up, she grabbed the packages of sheets and opened them, surprised when she was met with soft cotton jersey. It would certainly be warm. There were even pillows and a bagged down comforter sitting next to the bed, and she quickly tucked the sheets in and put the pillows in their cases.

The down comforter was a deep green, and she was grateful he hadn't ordered something pastel or worse yet, pink. It was luxurious as she spread it on the bed. And despite herself, she flopped on and snuggled into it. Much better than a sleeping bag, which she had originally intended to use to keep warm.

"You're going to have to thank him," She told herself, sighed the words aloud. They were muffled by the thick, down comforter, and she went over what to say.

A simple thank you would probably be best. Anything profuse would probably embarrass them both. He didn't seem like the type for profuse apologies, and she wasn't the type to give them. But a simple thank you wouldn't cover what he had done.

Her eyes lit on her trekking pack and an idea hit. She slipped off of the bed and grabbed her bag, grunting for it's weight, and carried it down the hall and to the living room. After that she went back down the hall and knocked on the door across from hers.

Seconds later it opened and he was staring down at her, making her realize just how tall he was, and how short she was in comparison.

"Thank you," She blurted when he eyed her curiously. "For everything."

"No problem," He told her, nodding his head. After an awkward moment of silence he was closing the door when she forced the words out.

"Did you want to go over the supplies?" She was immediately berating herself for the way she'd said it. She sounded like a nervous teenage girl asking a guy out, not an adult woman. But really, he was different each time she spoke to him, and more and more she was unsure about how to interact with him. His latest gesture only upset that balance more, knocking her off kilter and making her wonder what he was really like.

Or if he needed to be medicated.

"Sure, sounds good. Let me grab the pack."

She fled to the living room, hoping for a moment to compose herself. When she heard his door close she hurriedly began opening her bag and pulling various items out, needing to look busy. When she looked up, he was looking down at her, bag slung over his shoulder carelessly.

Like it didn't weight around thirty pounds, possibly more.

"So what first?" He asked, dropping it on the ground and sitting across from her on the floor.

She pulled out the firestarter and clicked the small button on it that made the magnesium strike pop out.

He looked at it curiously.

By the time she had finished explaining, he had burned two spots on the carpet, more out of surprise than out of carelessness. The initial burst of sparks had startled him, and he held the bright orange and black firestarter away from him.

"These smell worse than matches," He'd sneered, glaring at the small device, as if it had mortally offended him in some way.

She could barely smell anything, but shrugged.

"These are easier to work with, and they can be used in all weather," She explained quietly. "If there's no dry tinder around, you can use these," She added, showing him a box of tinder cubes. "These will stay lit no matter where you put them, so you have to be careful, but they'll heat up a can of stew in a pinch and sometimes you can use them to help start a fire with tender that's damp."

He nodded, opening the box and immediately holding it away from his face.

"Does everything you camp with have to stink?"

The was a faint chemical odor to the cubes, but nothing that bothered her overmuch. She wondered how sensitive his nose was.

"Well, we'll probably be dealing with them a lot in winter. It'll be difficult to find dry wood in the snow."

He nodding grudgingly, and she put the two items back in her pack. He opened his own and began pulling items out. Inu Yasha had obviously felt that he could handle a heavier pack, and had she not seen him hiking with it on their camping trips to test their equipment, she wouldn't have believed he could handle it.

That did not mean Kouga would be able to, however.

"This is a pedometer," She explained. "You wear it on your hip. It tells you how many steps you've taken."

"Why would I need that if I've got not only a GPS but a compass too?" He grunted, looking at the little machine, obviously not impressed.

"If you go out of camp for some reason, like to use the bathroom, you know how far away you are, and if you get lost, that sort of thing. It's not required, but it never hurts to be prepared," She added. He looked ready to protest, but shrugged his shoulders and nodded in the manner that she was getting used to.

"Okay, and this is?" He asked, holding up a pouch that clinked and jangled.

"It's a chain saw," She explained. "You hold the handles or put sturdy pieces of branch through them to cut through bigger logs or branches."

"Why?" He asked flatly.

"To make a shelter in an emergency, something like that."

He dropped the small pouch back in the bag and grabbed another box from the floor and opening it.

"That's a first aid kit," She tried, thinking, hoping at least, that he knew what it was for.

"Tell me this is not the only thing you guys packed for a first aid kit."

"It's got everything important in it, we can't over pack because of weight-" She tried defending, but he interrupted her, voice filled with a sort of angry disapproval that made her feel like a child.

"This is the kind of first aid kit people never use." He was looking at her like she was stupid.

"Well what you put in one?" She snapped, more than irritated with him, but not quite irate. Yet.

"Scalpel, needle, surgical thread, a clotting agent, maybe some low grade antibiotics," He pointed out. "You've covered light things. Sunburn, fever, scratches and scrapes. What about bigger problems?"

"I don't have that sort of stuff. I won't need it-"

"Say you won't and you will. Do you know anything about wound care or-"

"I am going to study animals. I have graduated from one of the finest veterinary schools in Japan, and I don't need someone asking me-"

"Animals are all well and good. Can you pull splinters out of a human being and sew them back up?"

She opened her mouth, but stopped. She had never tried giving a human stitches. In fact, she'd never worked on a human at all. It had never occurred to her that she might have to.

"Good thing you took this course before hitting Russia," He snorted.

She glared at him, more than ready to stuff everything in her pack and sling it at him.

"Look, you need to learn how to do minor wound care on humans-"

"But where am I going to-"

"I was one of the emperor's personal guards. I've been trained as a medic for that reason. I know basic field medicine, the sort that keeps someone together until they get to a hospital. It's probably all you're going to need."

She braced her elbows on her knees and rested her face in her hands, suddenly understanding how woefully under prepared she was for a venture as big as Russia. Even someone who had no experience with the wilderness, no idea how to use all the equipment, had spotted things she hadn't thought of, probably wouldn't have deemed important.

Until she needed them.

"I'm sorry," She muttered, feeling more childish and ignorant than she had in years.

"For what?" She peeked from behind her fingers, surprised to see that he looked genuinely surprised by the statement.

"For being so rude. I didn't even think about something as serious as wound care."

"Most wouldn't. But you keep talking about the wilderness. A lot can happen, and even with a medic on staff, you're better off being able to do it yourself. I'm just surprised you can't stitch someone up. I thought all doctors could," He admitted.

"I'm not a doctor yet. I was going to do my thesis based on the research I got in Russia. I only have my masters."

"Oh. So a lot is riding on this for you."

She nodded, feeling even more foolish the more she thought about what he had said.

"Look, you'll do fine. It's why you came here, right?" He asked, voice gruff. "So take the lessons and pray you never have to use them."

"Thank you," She sighed.

She didn't want to ask how they would be practicing stitching.


	4. Chapter 4

Untamed  
By: The Hatter Theory  
Chapter 4  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

~*~ 

It felt like she was the center of attention, almost as if she was put on display. Perhaps even had a target of some sort painted on her forehead. As they walked through the small college, which was nothing like the previous colleges she had visited, she could feel everyone staring at her.

Or, maybe not her, but her roommate. Kouga, taking advantage of the warm weather of the day, was walking around in nothing but jeans and a shirt, his long hair in a high pony tail that swayed slightly with every step he took.

And she supposed if one didn't know about his almost manic mood swings, he would be attractive. Even if he was glowering at everyone they passed. And he was glued to her side.

"Kouga, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," He muttered, glaring at a female that looked as if she was going to approach. The woman quickly detoured, and he moved his gaze forward, eyes glaring at the hallway ahead as if it had done something to mortally offend him.

"Then why does it look like you're planning to kill everyone here?" She demanded in a whisper.

"They're staring."

"We're Japanese," She pointed out, because she refused to point out the obvious. That women were staring because, well, he was attractive. And the men were staring because he was, well, she didn't quite understand men to begin with, and had no idea why they were staring. Probably sizing him up or some other male minded behavior.

"They need to stop," He muttered back, lip pulling up in a sneer.

"Ignore it," She shot out, hoping it would help her ignore the staring herself. But nothing worked. As they navigated the halls (an easy task given how small the college was) people continued stopping to watch them, and when they finally found the classroom they were to meet their instructor in, the few people already seated turned their attention to them.

"Come on," She muttered in Japanese, not caring that a few eyebrows rose at her language. Kouga followed her, glaring daggers at everyone that stared.

"I take it you are Higurashi and Jiyuu."

She nodded, ignoring that the instructor had mangled their names beyond all repair. Not wanting to start out on the wrong foot, she didn't bother to correct him as they sat down at one of the tables. The room itself was small, and there were only a dozen students or so seated, all in a range of ages and appearance. The staring continued until the instructor cleared his throat and announced his name and handed out packets of papers.

The next hour was spent going over the contents of the course. Throughout all of it, Kouga seemed on edge, almost defensive, as if he expected someone to attack him at any moment. His whole body was tense, and the shift was almost too much for her to take.

When the hour was over and they were sent on her way, she was grateful for the packet she'd been given because she was positive she had only caught half of what their instructor had told her. If anything, she was more aware of Kouga's mood than ever, and she wanted out of the building and away from him before she went crazy from the tension.

She had just slipped away when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to the apartment. I have to go over this."

He said nothing, but he did follow her. The feeling wasn't friendly or even protective. She felt like he was guarding his next meal form other predators, and it was not a feeling she enjoyed. Wondering again how Inu Yasha could have become friends with someone so utterly frigid, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Until someone bumped into them. It was a woman, perhaps in her early twenties, maybe even younger. Her brown eyes were doe like, her glossed lips sparkling as she made her apologies, staring at Kouga as if she'd come across a rock god or some other public icon.

"Watch where you're going," He snapped in perfect English. The girl only tittered and walked away, looking over her shoulder as she did.

"Stop it," Kagome hissed, finally coming to the end of her patience with his attitude. "I don't know what your problem is, but you need to quit being such a jerk to everyone."

With that she was stomping ahead of him not caring if he followed, cursed her, or went in the other direction. But she could feel him following seconds later, like an angry wave of negative energy quickly closing in on her. Wishing he had chosen the second or third option, she continued her pace. Maybe he would get the message and give her some space.

"Damn it, what is your problem?" He snapped, his long legged stride putting him next to her in seconds.

"My problem?" She snapped impatiently, giving him an incredulous look. "It's you. How did you get the clearance for a weapon? How have you not been put in prison yet? You're constantly swinging from mood to mood like it's nothing, and it's like you hate everyone! You're worse than Inu Yasha's brother!"

He was quiet, walking next to her, expression stony. They were out of the school and walking for their apartment when he finally muttered something she didn't quite catch. Still irate, she didn't push him, was determined not to give in to his childish behavior.

When they were finally back at their apartment she walked in ahead of him, not even bothering to look back as she stalked to her room and closed the door.

Less than three minutes later when she heard a knock, she threw the packet of papers on her bed and jerked the door open, ready to unleash the full force of her fury upon him when she saw the resentment in his gaze. Frozen by the cold fury there, she took a step back. For the first time since meeting him she was afraid, and not a silly paranoid sort of afraid. It felt like he was going to lash out. His whole body was tensed and he looked like he was fighting back the urge to punch something. Despite that, his hands were perfectly relaxed, not clenched into fists.

"Come on." His voice was rough, even angry.

"No," She stuttered, taking another step back into her room.

"I owe you a lesson."

Oh god, he wasn't going to hurt her, was he? Though her outburst had been as childish as his reaction to the people on campus, she didn't think it warranted punishment. Especially not from him.

"I'm-"

"Scared. Which means you'll be scared if someone attacks you. Now's as good a time as any to start. At least you'll get the opportunity to hit me."

With that statement hanging in the air he left the doorway and walked into their living room.

Which left her with two options. She could close the door and go back to reading over her packet or...

"You better get your ass in here," He muttered, just loudly enough for her to hear. Stifling a groan she walked out into the living room, surprised to see that he had moved the couch out of the way in the few moments she hadn't been paying attention.

"Alright, come here."

That was the last thing she wanted to do.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He snapped.

She had no real reason to trust him, but he looked about as awkward as she felt. Walking toward him, feeling very much like he was going to pounce on her at any second, she stopped a foot away from him.

"If someone is trying to attack you, what's your first move?"

"Running," She answered automatically. It was exactly what she wanted to do right then. She wasn't a hero, and she wasn't stupid. If someone was trying to harm her, she'd run as if her life depended on it. Given his blunt observations the day before, someday it might. While the program director had never mentioned the possibility of violence or any history of it with locals, it didn't mean that it hadn't or couldn't happen.

"Good, you're not stupid."

She made a disapproving sound, one he caught and rolled his eyes at.

"Most of the women I've run across are all bluster and no brass, but they like to put on that they'd kick a guy's ass. You're tiny, and we're going to use that."

Use it how?

"Okay, do not kick me in the balls," He told her, walking around behind her. Her awareness of him only multiplied when he walked out of her line of vision. She was about to turn when his arms wrapped around her and he lifted her off of the ground.

"What are you doing?" She shouted, voice pitched as her anxiety broke into panic.

"Try to get away."

She kicked her legs, flailing and wriggling, but nothing was working. His hold on her was too tight. In a last ditch attempt she went limp in his arms. When they relaxed an almost minute, imperceptible amount, she squirmed from his hold, dropping to the floor, barely catching herself by her hands.

"Good."

"You are-"

"Teaching you how to think on your feet. Are you really going to remember elaborate lessons or fancy shit when someone is trying to hurt you?" He asked, brow arched. Despite the flat tone of his voice, he actually seemed faintly...Approving?

And he had a point. She wouldn't remember fancy kicks or punches, and even if she did they would probably be useless. She was tiny and would probably never have the strength to do serious damage to someone.

"Alright," She muttered, pushing herself up. He extended a hand and she accepted it, letting him pull her to her feet with effortless ease.

"Once again, do not kick me in the-"

"I get it," She muttered, disliking the crude language. He shrugged and suddenly he was barreling into her, pushing her back so quickly she barely had time to comprehend what was happening before she was slamming into the wall, the air whooshing painfully from her lungs. Her shout came out a startled gasp as he snarled at her, face filled with that cold hatred of before. His arm pressed across her chest, making it hard to breathe. Panic spiraled through her until she was struggling against the press of him, her every move seemingly pointless.

"No!" She managed to shout, pushing against him, hands shoving into his shoulders.

And with a startled yelp he was falling back, crashing onto the floor in a panting, groaning heap. She stared down at him, more shocked that she had managed to hurt him than the fact that she had pushed him away.

"Son of a bitch," He muttered a minute later, pushing himself up.

She was still staring at him in shock, eyes wide as he rubbed the spots where her hands had been.

"What-"

"Old wound," He muttered. "It's fine."

"Obviously not if I was able to hurt you," She told him, feeling badly for having hurt him. He was still rubbing the areas, brows knit together, lips turned down in a scowl.

"Let me look at it," She told him.

"No."

"Just, please? Besides, I might learn something of first aid."

"Trying to get me naked?" He retorted.

"Yes, because your rapier wit and soft charm are irresistible. Just take your shirt off and let me see."

"I don't-"

"Kouga, I'm not going to try and maul you," She snapped impatiently, actually worried now. The only times she'd ever seen a guy like him (and the only one she knew even remotely like him was Inu Yasha) reluctant to be honest, he had been hiding a much more serious injury than he let on.

Reluctantly he pulled his shirt over his head, mussing his hair. For a moment she was aware that he refused to meet her gaze until her gaze drifted down to his torso.

Faint scars covered him, crisscrossing in raised lines. Some looked like someone had taken a knife to him, slicing along his skin, others looked almost like circular burn marks. On his shoulders, perfectly placed where her hands had been, were two patches of keloidal flesh, like he had been burned by something almost the size of her hands.

"Kouga," She whimpered. She'd never seen that sort of devastation to someone's body outside of movies, and there had always been the assurance that the scars had been make up and special effects. But the pale lines marking his tawny skin stood out, stark and unforgiving. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"I'm fine," He muttered, standing and shrugging his shirt back on.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't-"

"Know, yeah, I get it. It's nothing."

She wanted to ask how, to demand an explanation for what had caused the myriad paths of lines over his skin, but even though they lived together, she barely knew him, didn't have the right to command answers.

"I'm sorry, for whatever happened to you," She finally murmured into the silence.

"It's fine."

She sniffed.

"Shit. Don't cry. Do not cry," He commanded her roughly. But the tears were already starting. Guilt and shame mixed with her mortification, and then a healthy dose of anger added itself, making her feel even more volatile. Unsure if she was going to break down sobbing or begin shouting because someone, or several someones, had abused him in such a way, and she had only irritated the wounds, she rubbed her face and tried to stop the sounds coming from her throat.

"Don't-"

"I'm trying not to you idiot!" She shouted, her anger slipping it's leash in lieu of bursting into tears. All of the horrible things she'd thought about his moods and attitude, her impatience with his obvious reticence, which all made perfect sense in light of the marks on his body, crashed down on her.

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing," He snapped. "I don't need it."

"But-"

"It was a long time ago."

She knew forever wouldn't be long enough to forget the simple image of the scars. How could he live with them?

"Don't you even think about it," He bit out.

"Think about what?" She asked dumbly, surprised by the anger in his voice.

"Treating me like some kicked dog. I don't fucking need or want it."

"I wasn't-"

"You were. I'm fucking fine and do not need your sympathy."

"Too bad!" She shouted, irrationally angered by his words. "Because there's no way I can't feel badly for someone that had to endure whatever it is that caused those!"

"I'm not some wounded stray-"

"Then stop acting like it!"

He looked ready to say something but stopped himself, spun on his heel and stalked to his room. The door slammed behind him.

"Stupid, stubborn- Argh!" She muttered, running a hand through her hair before stalking to her room and slamming the door just as loudly.

Within ten minutes the guilt set in.

He had more than ample reason to hate people, obviously. Anyone that had endured whatever it was he had survived would have more than enough cause to retreat completely. If she had gone through what looked like torture she wouldn't like people either.

And she had just shouted at him. About his scars. And accused him of acting like a wounded dog.

"I am an ass," She groaned, thumping her head against the door. The use of cursing was distasteful to her, but she felt the situation warranted it.

"Pretty much," A muffled voice called out. She jumped from the door, expecting it to suddenly open. When it didn't, she cracked it and peeked out. He wasn't on the other side, and his door wasn't open. A quick glance into the living room showed that he wasn't there either. But his door opened and he leaned against the frame, arms crossed.

"These are from one of the few things I have done in my life that I completely believed in. I don't like the idea of someone feeling sorry for me because of them."

She blinked once, then twice.

Again.

He wasn't lying. The conviction in his tone was nothing less than absolute.

"I can still be sorry that they were a result, even if it was worth the cost," She answered quietly.

He was quiet, regarding her intently.

"Fair enough."

Kagome had no reply to that, couldn't think of anything that was appropriate to say.

"So no acting like I'm some sort of stray puppy."

She nodded.

"And no feeling sorry for me."

She made a frustrated sound.

"You're impossible," She groaned.

"You're the female."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She sputtered indignantly.

"You're crazy. So maybe living together will work out. Besides, you still don't know how to clean a gun and you haven't taught me how to patch a tent."

Another mood swing, one she was still reeling from when she grabbed her pack and brought it out into the living room. As she began going over how to patch a smaller tear, she noticed that he had relaxed slightly, wasn't as surly as he normally was. Whatever had occurred to calm him this time was beyond her. But she couldn't stop picturing the torso littered in scars or wondering when he would become angry and defensive again.

~*~ 


End file.
